Understanding Minds

More than a folder, less than a database

In the previous section, you got a quick introduction to what a mind is and its three zones. Now let's go deeper into how minds work and how to think about them as you use Synap day to day.

A mind is your personal knowledge vault — a structured space where everything that matters to your work lives together. It's not just a collection of files. It's an organized system where reference material, active work, and creative projects coexist and connect to each other.

Every mind lives on your computer as a simple folder. You own it completely. There's no cloud dependency, no server storing your information, and no one who can access it without your permission.

The three zones in depth

Each mind is divided into three zones. You already know the basics — here's how to think about them as you start building your knowledge:

Memory is your knowledge base — the things that stay relevant over time. Company procedures, brand guidelines, performance metrics, vendor details, learning resources. The key quality of Memory content: it's worth coming back to. If you'd look something up twice, it belongs in Memory.

Focus is your personal workspace — the things that drive your day. Tasks, decisions, meeting notes, initiatives, daily progress. Focus content is active and evolving. It feeds directly into your Dashboard, so everything you track here surfaces automatically when you need it.

Canvas is your creative space — the things you're producing. Content plans, campaign materials, creative briefs, visual layouts. Canvas content is forward-looking: it's about what you're making next. If Memory is what you know and Focus is what you do, Canvas is what you create.

Your files, your computer

Everything inside a mind is stored locally on your machine. Synap doesn't require an internet connection and doesn't send your data anywhere. Your mind travels with your computer and stays completely under your control.

If you choose to connect Synap to the web later (for team collaboration), you decide exactly what gets shared. But by default, your mind is private and offline.

One mind per context

You're not limited to a single mind. You can create as many as you need — one for your job, another for a side project, a third for personal learning. Each mind is fully independent with its own zones, its own content, and its own settings.

This means you never have to mix your work notes with your personal projects or your client information with your hobby research. Every context gets its own clean, organized space.

No technical skills needed

If you can organize files on your computer, you can work with a mind. Synap handles the structure for you — you just add your content where it makes sense. The three-zone layout gives you a clear mental model from day one, so you always know where to put things and where to find them.